The subject invention relates to an electrical breakaway connector having improved release characteristics.
Such an electrical connector is useful and almost mandatory in applications where emergency situations occur requiring immediate disconnection of the mating connectors with only a small tensile force placed on the two cables which lead out of the connectors. It is also mandatory in these emergency situations that the two connectors do not become cocked or otherwise bound during disconnection which could hamper or prevent the disconnection between the two mated connectors.
One such application of breakaway connectors having emergency disconnection requirements is in the aircraft pilot's helmet, a breakaway connector is typically mounted to the base of the aircraft and a matable connector is connected to the pilot's helmet through data and power cable. The sophistication of the helmets has grown to require a multitude of signal and power contacts mounted within a small connection package, yet with the requirement that the mated connectors are easily disconnected. The breakaway aspect of the connector is critical in that during emergency ejection of the pilot, the connector must be released without undue binding of the two connectors.
A further requirement of the breakaway connector is that the connector upstands vertically in the disconnected position such that the connector is always upwardly facing vertical and therefore the pilot need only use one hand to connect or disconnect the half to his or her helmet. This of course is an ergonomic consideration rather than a safety consideration, yet an important consideration when viewing the cramped quarters which are found in military aircraft. With one connector mounted to the base of the aircraft, undue burden and inconvenience would be placed upon the pilot to require him or her to reach over with the second hand to make the connection between the aircraft connector and the helmet connector.
One breakaway connector is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,192 which includes an aircraft connector which is connectable to the base of the aircraft and a helmet connector half which is provided with the pilot's helmet. The aircraft connector is connected to the aircraft base by means of a lanyard making the aircraft connector moveable relative to the base of the aircraft, yet it does not allow the connector to upstand in a given position for the ease of connection and disconnection.
Another breakaway electrical connector is shown in pending GB application 8826638.2 where the disconnection aspect involves a lanyard 32 which, when pulled, disengages a pawl from a notch 88, allowing the connector halves to disengage.